I have to admit that hotel dining can be either hit or miss. Happily the experience at both Les Fenetres and Alcyone in the beautiful Hotel Intercontinental Marseille exceeded on every count. For starters a Monday lunch on the patio at Les Fenetres with the sun overhead, the Vieux Port before us and amazing cooking coming from the kitchen only adds to the fun.
Lunch was a combination of fresh fish and shellfish dishes, some well made cocktails and non obtrusive service, but it was at a special dinner that was held on July 1st 2014 where Michelin star chef Lionel Levy invited a fellow one star chef from Brittany, Olivier Bellin, to join him for a night of great cooking for the 24 guests inside Alcyone.
The Alcyone menu (below) was sublime and I paired up wines from their well chosen list, opting to go with four half bottles of wine starting with a 2012 Rose from Domaine Pibernon, a 2008 Dauvissat Montmains Chablis, the sensational Louis Cheze 2012 Syrah-St. Joseph and ending the night with a 2010 Pibernon Bandol Rouge that was just about ready to pop.
The Cheze was clearly the wine of the night with silky tannins, stunning blueberry and bell pepper aromatics and a rich berry flavor. The Chablis was equally enchanting with stony and flinty notes that matched up well to the pineapple sauced scampi, while the Rose was all you wanted to follow coupe de Champagne, one white and one rose. Wine service was excellent, as was the wine knowledge of the entire staff. Having the opportunity to converse about the list that has nothing but winners helped make the night enjoyable.
|
Amuse Bouche Entrée |
|
Gaspacho de lait d'amandes, homard et cerise rafraîchis ( Lionel Lévy) Gazpacho of almond milk, lobster and cherry refreshed |
|
Poissons |
|
Langoustines bretonnes, ananas et boudin noir croustillant (Olivier Bellin) Breton scampis, pineapple and crunchy black sausage Saint Pierre, beurre noisette et daube d'huîtres et pieds de cochons (Olivier Bellin) |
|
Plats |
|
Agneau allaiton de l'Aveyron, grenailles fumées et sardines en condiment ( Lionel Lévy) Milk-Fed Aveyron lamb, smoked grenaille potatoes,served with summer savory and sardines |
|
Dessert |
|
Fraises au blé noir (Olivier Bellin) Strawberries in the buckwheat |
Even though this was a special dinner, and my girlfriend and I were invited guests of the hotel, I have to admit that this was an affair to remember. Upon leaving for the evening Anu shared her appreciation of how good the cooking was last night with some complimentary comments about lunch as well from Monday, raving about the Gambas piquées au romarin, "paellavoine", jus au chorizo which is Tiger Prawns in rosemary, oaten paella, chorizo gravy. Levy, without missing a beat invited Anu to come learn how to make it in the kitchen. Experiences like these are what makes restaurant dining, when done right, so memorable.